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My Easy Butter Chicken Recipe Disappeared So Fast
I’d usually choose my garlic butter chicken over Indian food, but this easy butter chicken recipe won me over. I originally made it because my husband loves the cuisine, and it has since become my favorite Indian dish of all time.
This was also the first dish to disappear when I served it for my friends after one of my recipe testing days. Everyone asked how I made the sauce taste like the takeout they were used to! I think this is why:
- Buttery, spiced tomato sauce – This butter chicken sauce… it’s like a warm hug on a plate. It’s the perfect balance of a creamy, velvety texture against tomatoey, warm spiced flavors. And I didn’t skimp on the butter. 😉
- Tender, juicy chicken – The secret to the best butter chicken is marinating it in a spiced yogurt marinade and then simmering in sauce. It some of the juiciest chicken I’ve ever made. Especially if you use chicken thighs like I did.
- Not too many ingredients – I use the same spices in the marinade and the sauce, so it’s actually only 12 ingredients total (plus salt). Not an easy feat — most butter chicken recipes need a lot more! But I tested which spices were essential for that classic Indian flavor, and good news, they’re common pantry staples. You’ll just need to pick up garam masala if you don’t cook Indian food often.
- Quick and easy – This dish makes a quick weeknight meal if I plan ahead for it! You do need at least an hour to marinate, but other than that, it takes under 30 minutes. And it tastes like it’s been simmering for hours.
The biggest surprise about this butter chicken was when my picky kids chose it over the sheet pan chicken thighs I made for them. Guess it’s kid-friendly, too. Make it with me!
What Is Butter Chicken?
Butter chicken, also called murgh makhani, is an Indian dish of tender chicken pieces marinated in yogurt and cooked in a rich, buttery tomato sauce with spices. Garam masala is the primary spice blend in my recipe, and I kept it to just the basics!
As you might expect, butter chicken tastes like pieces of chicken in an Indian spiced tomato sauce. It’s somewhat similar to a curry or chicken tikka masala, but more creamy, less bold, and a little sweet.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my easy butter chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Chicken & Marinade:
- Chicken – Either chicken breasts or thighs work. I’ve tried both, but prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs because they’re the juiciest! I don’t recommend bone-in cuts with skin here, because they’ll just get soggy.
- Yogurt – The base of the marinade. I used full-fat Greek yogurt. Regular plain yogurt also works. (If you’ve got extra, make my frozen yogurt recipe for later!)
- Garlic – Fresh garlic tastes the best, but I won’t judge if you use jarred minced garlic.
- Spices – The main spice blend I use for this dish is garam masala. This combination of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, black pepper, and coriander gives butter chicken its signature flavor. I also added extra cumin (or you can use an extra teaspoon garam masala instead, since it also contains cumin), ground ginger, chili powder, and sea salt. You can also add turmeric for added depth.
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Butter Chicken Sauce:
- Tomato Sauce – This is the base of the sauce and leaves it very smooth. You can swap in canned diced tomatoes if you want it more chunky.
- Butter – I used plenty here, because… hello, this is butter chicken! I prefer unsalted butter to control the salt myself. Feel free to use salted and just reduce the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Aromatics – Onions and garlic! You can use a white, yellow, or sweet onion. My recipe calls for it sliced thinly, but I’ve also made it using diced onions and they work just as well.
- Heavy Cream – A.k.a. heavy whipping cream. If you’re dairy-free, I’ve had good results substituting coconut cream or canned full-fat coconut milk (which I also use for my coconut chicken curry).
- Spices – To keep it simple, I use the same spices in the sauce that I do in the marinade.
Reader Review
“I love Indian food and we have an amazing restaurant in our town (rated one of the best in MA)…. but I will say this recipe blows that place out of the water! It was amazing!” –Megan
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How To Make Butter Chicken
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Marinate the chicken. In a large bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, garlic, garam masala, cumin, salt, ginger, and chili powder. Add the chicken thighs, mix to coat, and marinate. Right before cooking, remove the chicken from the marinade and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Saute the aromatics. In a large saute pan with tall sides, saute the onions in (plenty of) butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic to the center. Cook until fragrant, then combine with the onions.
- Mix the butter chicken sauce. Stir in the tomato sauce, heavy cream, garam masala, cumin, ginger, chili powder, and salt.
- Cook the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to the pan. Nestle them in the sauce in a single layer and stir to coat. All that’s left for this easy butter chicken recipe is a good simmer to cook the chicken and thicken the sauce! I always garnish mine with fresh cilantro.
My Tips For Flavor & Texture
- Coat the chicken evenly with marinade. The chicken marinade is quite thick, so it helps to use your hands to massage it into the chicken. I didn’t have much luck trying to mix it with a spoon.
- Feel free to dice the chicken before marinating. I cut mine into bite-sized pieces after the marinade step (right before cooking), but there’s really no reason for it. Either way works!
- Marinate for at least an hour, but overnight is even better. Between the marinade and the saucy simmer, this easy butter chicken definitely turns out juicy enough for me after marinating for an hour. But it’s even juicier if you have time to marinate overnight. Just don’t go over 24 hours, or it tends to get mushy.
- Grab a very large skillet with tall sides. Between the chicken and the sauce, my butter chicken recipe needs a lot of space or it’ll overflow! This saute pan is one of my favorites to cook this dish.
- Is butter chicken spicy? My recipe has a mild kick from the chili powder and garam masala, but it’s not very hot. (Even my picky 6-year-old ate it!) If you want more heat, add a dash of cayenne pepper or black pepper.
- Puree if you want the sauce completely smooth. It’s already pretty smooth, but it does have soft onion pieces, which I actually love! If you want no texture to it at all, puree with an immersion blender before adding the chicken.
- Don’t worry if the sauce seems thin — it will thicken as it cools. It gets thicker after simmering, but I noticed it gets even more thick after removing from heat.
Easy Butter Chicken Recipe
By
My easy butter chicken recipe has a quick spiced yogurt marinade and a creamy tomato sauce with garam masala. A simple weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
[ See substitutions ]Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Marinade:
Butter Chicken Sauce:
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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In a large bowl, stir together all the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken thighs, stir to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
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Remove the chicken from the marinade and use kitchen shears to cut into bite-sized pieces. No need to wipe the marinade off the chicken, but leave behind what isn’t stuck to it.
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Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and saute for 8-10 minutes, until soft and browned.
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Make a well in the center and add the minced garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, then stir in with the onions.
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Stir in the tomato sauce, heavy cream, garam masala, cumin, ground ginger, chili powder, and sea salt. Adjust salt to taste; other flavors will develop as it cooks afterward.
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Add the chicken pieces to the pan, nestling them in the sauce in a single layer. Spoon additional sauce over the chicken to cover. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer, then simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the chicken is cooked through. Adjust salt to taste if needed.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 3/4 cup, or 1/6 entire recipe
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips to help you get the best flavor and texture in your butter chicken.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The sauce did get very thick when I’ve stored it, but it will be right again after you reheat.
- Meal prep: Since you have to marinate the chicken before cooking it anyway, you can do this up to 24 hours in advance. You can also meal prep my entire butter chicken recipe and portion it into individual containers for easy lunches.
- Reheat: This dish reheats very well, since the sauce prevents the chicken from drying out. You can heat it in the microwave (be sure to cover or it splatters all over the place!), or on the stovetop over medium heat.
- Freeze: Cool completely, then transfer to a zip lock bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Note on nutrition info: I included only half of the Greek yogurt in the marinade, because about half is discarded after marinating.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Easy Butter Chicken Recipe
How I Serve It
I love to serve this easy butter chicken recipe with homemade cauliflower rice (and sometimes even my low carb naan). I usually keep a stash of frozen cauliflower rice, pictured above, in my freezer for a shortcut. You can also opt for jasmine or basmati rice for a more traditional option.
If you want to add some veggies, I’ve been liking this with Asian salad or red cabbage salad on the side.
More Easy Indian Chicken Recipes
I’ve got more ways to spice up your cooking routine! Check out some of my other saucy Indian-inspired chicken recipes:
92 Comments
Susan Steimel
0Where does the sugar come from?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Susan, It’s mostly from the natural sugars in the tomatoes.
Paulie
0I made this the other night for dinner. I was very pleased with how easy it was to make, and how tender the chicken was. I mean the chicken practically melted in your mouth like butter. I served it over cauliflower rice.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so happy to hear that, Pauline! Yes, I love how tender the chicken gets in this Indian butter sauce.
Maria
0Very good!!
Lewis
0Recently got back from the Middle East with some masala, and I couldn’t wait to try this recipe. The chicken thighs marinated in Greek yogurt and spices were incredibly tender and flavorful. The butter chicken sauce was rich and creamy, with just the right amount of spice. This was a hit!
Debra Sargent
0How do you think quinoa would taste with a bag of Asian mix, mixed in? I’ve made this a few times and love it but trying to change it up a little!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Debra, I haven’t tried this, but what you’re describing sounds like it would work with the flavors here. Please let me know how it goes if you experiment with it!
Riani
0Don’t you use cash nuts powder in butter chicken?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Riani, I’m not totally sure what ingredient you’re referring to, but no, I don’t use that in my recipe. All the ingredients are on the recipe card and in the post above.
Karolyn
0This chicken is delicious! I’ll admit I was skeptical about how good “easy” Indian would taste, but I ended up licking the bowl. I used chicken breast instead, added a 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper to the sauce and a sprinkle of fenugreek to the simmering pan. This one will be in rotation at my house!
Caitlin
0Hands down best butter chicken I have ever made. It was so tender and packed with flavor. Absolutely delicious. I used what I had on hand so subbed hot madras curry powder for the garam masala, and half and half for the heavy cream, and it was still perfect. Definitely making this again.
Katherine
0I can’t believe how good this was!! It was absolutely delicious and will be making this again and again in the future. Even my picky toddler loved it so I give this is a 6 on 5
Jess
0I loved the flavors of this well done! I can’t have cream so I substituted cream for coconut milk. It was a great add.
Krista Burke
0Is this doable in a slowcooker?
This is my go to butter chicken recipe
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Krista, I have never tried that but I think it would work. Let me know the results if you do try it!
Kimberly
0This was absolutely delicious. I didn’t think the marinade would be enough for the chicken but it was. I didn’t have kitchen shears so I just diced up the chicken after it was done marinating. My daughter (my picky teenage daughter) went for seconds and so did my husband! My daughter told me this needs to be a regular recipe in the rotation now. I used to get keto factor meals and her favorite was the butter chicken and she said this is way better. Will make this again!!!
KIm
0Delish!
Pauline geas
0A little too spicy for me but very good I think next time, I’ll cut back on the chili powder, though.
Pauline
0I bought half and half by accident instead of heavy cream. Can I use that instead?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Pauline, Yes, that should work for you.
Juliet
0I had buttered chicken (actually chicken tikka masala) from this one restaurant years ago and I absolutely love it. Everytime I go to an Indian restaurant, I order their buttered chicken or chicken tikka masala hoping to taste the original one I tried before. But it just isn’t the same. I came across a random store that sold garam masala and decided to make some. I have to say, this recipe is the closest to that one unforgettable chicken tikka dish I tried! Even my brother-in-law who does not like trying out new cuisines loved it. I will definitely make this again, adjusting the ratio of spices to my liking (maybe a tad less tomato sauce and a little more garam and/or cream for me). Grateful for finding this recipe!
Susan
0I have seen this recipe & always wanted to try it. SO SO GOOD! Loved it!
Michelle
0How do you eat or what do you eat butter chicken with? It’s good but it’s like a think creamy soup with chicken
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Michelle, I recommend eating this with rice or cauliflower rice, depending on your needs.
Donna Murray
0Wouldn’t it be easier and less messy to chop chicken before adding to the marinade?
Robert Pontius
0I did that and suspect it made the chicken more tender and flavorful after marinating overnight. My theory is that smaller pieces give the chicken more surface area for the marinade to soak in.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Donna, You can do that if you prefer.
Kristen
0Just finished having this for dinner – SO good! I somehow missed that I needed a can of tomato sauce, so I tried to use up the tomato paste I had leftover from another meal (5oz tomato paste and 5oz water) and ended up quite short. I Googled what else I could use and found a recipe that used some tomato sauce and some pumpkin purée which I also happened to have leftover in my fridge (about 1 cup)… then I noticed the sauce would be super thick, so I doubled the amount of heavy cream. Probably not the healthiest/keto-ist meal, but it did the trick and I will absolutely make this again and again (but properly next time!). Thank you for this recipe 🙂